Vermont Farmhouse Construction Photos

The timber home we designed for our clients in northern Vermont is well on its way to be weather-tight, just in time for the cold weather!  Vermont Timber Works did a fabulous job on the timber frame and Foard Panel provided the energy efficient SIP panels. Enjoy these recent pictures!

SIP Panels being applied

Second floor cathedral timber frame with T&G decking

Connection between timbers and the chimney

SIP dormer

SIP Panel Industry Grows Market Share Despite Retreating Housing Market

Note:  This is good news from the Structural Insulated Panel industry!  If you are looking for architects experienced in SIP panels, contact us about your project!

Industry survey reveals gains in residential market share helped producers dodge full force of construction downturn



July 1, 2010 – Despite four years of declining U.S. housing starts, the structural insulated panel (SIP) industry has avoided the full force of the economic recession, according to a recent survey conducted by the Structural Insulated Panel Association (SIPA). Results indicate that the industry experienced a 12 percent decrease in residential production volume in 2009, compared to a 28 percent drop in U.S. single family housing starts over the same time period.


2009 is the fifth consecutive year the industry has gained share in the residential market. It is now estimated that the panelized building system accounts for between one and two percent of U.S. single family home starts. SIPA Executive Director Bill Wachtler attributes much of the industry’s growth to the increasing popularity of green and energy-efficient homes. SIPs are composed of insulating foam sandwiched between two structural facings, creating an effective thermal barrier that can save homeowners up to 50 percent on heating and cooling costs.


“The rising cost of energy and concern over global climate change has really pushed green building into the mainstream,” said Wachtler. “SIPs give architects and builders an easy way to create an airtight building envelope that will improve the energy efficiency and durability of any home or light commercial building.”


Of the total 42 million square feet of SIPs produced in North America in 2009, 43 percent went to residential buildings, 32 percent to non-residential buildings, and the remaining 24 percent were used for non-building purposes, such as industrial coolers. An estimated 1,300 commercial buildings were constructed with SIPs in 2009, including schools, retail stores and agricultural buildings. Non-residential production declined 19 percent from the previous year.


“Like all industries we are affected by the recession and the drop in new construction,” said Wachtler. “But the strong market share gains we’ve experienced in the residential market indicate that the SIP industry is likely to see a significant boost in production as the economy recovers.”


Several different combinations of materials are used to construct SIPs, but the basic concept remains the same. The most popular facing materials are oriented strand board (OSB) and metal. Plywood and other materials such as fiber cement board accounted for only 6 percent of SIPs used in building applications.


The survey also polled SIP manufacturers regarding their geographic distribution. The top ranking regions for SIP use were the Mountain, East North Central (upper Midwest), and Pacific regions.


About SIPA
The Structural Insulated Panel Association (SIPA) is a non-profit association representing manufacturers, suppliers, dealer/distributors, design professionals, and builders committed to providing quality structural insulated panels for all segments of the construction industry.


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Home Construction Photos

Progress is continuing on our custom luxury home in New Hampshire’s Upper Valley.  Check out the latest construction photos!

The Douglas fir key-laminated beams are lifted in place by the crane.  The “keys” are hardwood wedges joined transversely to the adjacent timbers to transfer shear and limit interlayer slip.

 

Next, Structural Insulated Panels (SIP panels) will be installed this week. Stay posted for new photos!  Here are the floor plan and renderings of the home so you can see what it will look like.

Hybrid Home: Construction Photos

Our timber frame hybrid home in Candia, NH continues construction!  Here are some newest photos:

NH Architect Jeremy Bonin designed this hybrid home with several building materials: The center section of the hybrid home is timber frame and SIP panels. The Master Bedroom has timber rafters with SIP panel walls, roof, dormers. The Master Bedroom connector: SIP panel walls with conventional roof, while the garage utilizes conventional 2x material with batt insulation. Stay tuned for photos as they are available!

Timber Home, Lincoln, NH

We took advantage of a rainy day a couple of weeks ago to visit our clients’ timber home in South Peak Resort, Lincoln, NH. The home is progressing nicely and should be completed within the next eight weeks. Chris drew a landscaping plan to submit to the South Peak Resort ARB (Architectural Review Board). Landscaping will begin as soon as approval is given.

The stone fireplace in the great room is gorgeous and complements the timber frame beautifully. The fireplace in the basement recreation room is also coming along.

The exterior braces and timber porches (Douglas fir) add architectural style and provide a hint as to the beauty of the timber frame interior.

Hybrid home: Timber Frame and SIP Panels

Hybrid homes combining timber framing and other building materials are very popular. There are many ways to combine construction methods. For instance, this 2745 square foot home design is an excellent example of a hybrid home.

• The center section is 1316 square feet of timber frame construction, 836 square feet for the first floor great room, kitchen and dining, and 480 square feet in the second floor loft;
  
• The entry will utilize a timber frame roof system with insulated panel walls and roof system;
  
• SIP panel walls and a conventional roof system will be used in the Master Bedroom connector;
  
• Timber frame rafters, SIP panel walls, roof, and panel dormers will be used in the Master Bedroom; and
  
• The 576 square foot garage consists of conventional 2x framing and batt insulation.

A hybrid home, combining timber framing, conventional framing, and SIP panels, might better fit your family’s needs – and budget.
If budget is a concern, consider combining building methods; i.e. use timber framing in public areas (great room, dining room, and kitchen) and use SIP panel construction or conventional material in other areas can reduce the overall square foot cost of the home.

NH Timber Frame Update

It’s hard to believe it’s been a year since we began Bob & Kelley’s timber frame home design for their four-season vacation home in South Peak Resort, Lincoln, NH.

The interior walls are up, insulated, drywall is installed and the plaster is being applied. The electrician has roughed in the final light fixtures and switches, and the stone for the fireplace, which will extend three stories, is ready to be installed.

Some materials in the home:

Dense Select Structural FSC Certified Douglas Fir timber frame
1x8 T&G SPF, Kiln Dried, Select "Japanese" Grade boards for interior roof, pre-finished
4 ½" XPS Structural Insulated Wall Panels, R-20
8 ¼" EPS Structural Insulated Roof Panels, R-30

All of the Eagle Windows have been installed and they fit beautifully. The color of the exterior cladding of the windows is called "moss", which complements the clear vertical gain cedar siding.

Check back for further progress!

Lincoln, NH Timber Frame Home Under Construction

Within a short nine days, our Lincoln, New Hampshire timber frame is up and the T&G decking is on the roof! The 3500 square foot timber frame home features a Queen Post bent main frame with two Principal Purlin Common Rafter wings. The south elevation exterior features a handsome King Post truss, which is the focal point of the facade.

Timberpeg provided the timber frame, which consists of over 350 pieces of Dense Select Structural FSC Certified Douglas fir. Each timber has a factory-applied tung oil as a seal to protect this beautiful frame.

Our clients, Bob and Kelly, visited the site last weekend and love the finished timber frame. The joinery, size of the timbers, and design of the timber frame are exactly what they wanted!

Monday Foard Panel is delivering the XPS structural insulated panels which will wrap the timber frame and create a high performance, energy efficient home.

See the history of this timber frame home to date on our website. Also look for more blogs on the installation of the structural insulated panels and ongoing construction on this energy efficient home!

Kimberly Bonin, Executive Project Manager,

Bonin Architects & Associates, PLLC

Timber Frame Home progress, Lincoln, NH

The timber frame home site in Lincoln, New Hampshire is coming along nicely! The timber frame is scheduled for delivery September 23rd and the timber frame crew is waiting anxiously to put up the timber frame and T&G decking, which will take approximately four weeks. (The home is 3500 SF and has 300+ timbers.)


The timber exterior envelope will be structural insulated panels (SIPs), which are scheduled to deliver on October 13th and take about two weeks to install. Once the panels are on, the general contractor’s crew will put the roof on and install the Eagle windows into the pre-cut panels, completing the weather-tight shell.

Check back often for more progress updates and new site construction photos.

Kimberly Bonin, Executive Project Manager

Bonin Architects & Associates, PLLC

Timber Frame Design, Lincoln, NH

Bonin Architects & Associates provides innovative, sustainable design solutions for residential and light commercial applications.

One of our green design projects is for a timber frame home to be built in South Peak Resort at Loon Mountain, Lincoln, NH surrounded by the White Mountains. Delivery of the timber frame is expected at the end of August.

The timber frame home will be a second home for Bob and Kelly Kozub, who plan to vacation there as often as possible during all four seasons. Structural Insulated Panels (also known as stress skin panels or SIPs) will keep the home warm in winter and cool in summer. Exterior timbers and cedar shakes and clapboards give the home a mountain look while earth-tone colors will compliment the natural landscape of the White Mountains.

The timber frame design includes a full finished basement and two-car garage. A bunkroom in the basement provides space for guests while the basement also includes a large recreation area with a fieldstone fireplace, two guest bedrooms, a bath with a walk-in shower, and its own laundry.

The main floor has three bedrooms which share a bathroom with a whirlpool tub. The mudroom entry includes the first-floor laundry and ample storage closets. The kitchen has a curved counter for seating overlooking the dining area, built-in bar, and great room. The dining room, great room with a large stone fireplace, and two bedrooms, all facing west, open to the mahogany decks on the west taking advantage of the views and mountain sunsets.

The timber frame main section of the home is a series of queen post bents. Wings to either side, one for the bedrooms and the other for the dining room and kitchen, utilize a Principal Purlin frame.

The second floor has a large loft and media room overlooking the dining and great room. The media room will have built-in cabinetry to hold a flat-screen TV, books, games and movies. The Master Bedroom suite includes its own fireplace and private balcony, as well as a walk-in closet and sitting and reading area.


Jackie Lampiasi, Marketing Director
Bonin Architects & Associates, PLLC